Monday Blues in LA
Poker continues to just suck for me this year. I have had one good string of sessions and the rest of the year has been up and down. Monday in LA was straight down in the cash session. But before we talk about that I will give you a quick update on the tournament which is why I went to the Commerce in the first place that night.
The tournament was a $540 buyin NL tournament. We had 281 players, which was a little less than I thought but still a top prize of $55,000, not too shabby. I started off pretty well. We had a table with two fast players. The first one got lucky with some crap hands and accumulated some chips but I knew they were going to go someplace fast, it was just going to be a matter of time. The other came to our table after a bust early, and he sat to my direct right, perfect. I was going to try and trap him. As it worked out he played fast with his chips and decided to get involved in a coin flip with me that I also decided was the right time to take a risk. I had built my $2,000 up to about $2,800 in a few rounds and picked up pocket QQ's UTG. We were playing $25/50 blinds, and I made it $250 to go. I did not want to mess around too much with this hand early so I wanted to make a bit of an oversized bet. It got folded around to Mr. Fast player in the BB and he just moved in for over $3,500. I figured a smaller pair, or best case AK, I did not put him on AA or KK, if that happened then so be it. I thought about it for a bit, then just decided that I need some chips and this is going to be the best way to get them. I called all in. He showed me AK which did not hit and I doubled up. Then one round later I had A,J off in the SB, there was a limper in EP and I completed the blind, and the BB checked his option. The flop came down A,J,9 rainbow. I checked the BB bet $150 into the pot, which was the size of the pot, EP mucked and I made it $600 to go. The BB now just moved in for his remaining $1,500. Wow, again? I figured any hand that could beat me would have raised, maybe 99's might have checked but I did not think so, He must have a bad A or maybe even same hand. I called and he showed me A,9 for a worse two pair. I held again and now had some chips.
I did not have any great hands or confrontations to speak of for a few hours after that. I really did not get that many great hands to try to pick up some pots, but managed to stay around $6,000 until this final fatal hand. We only had 75 players left, and they were going to pay 27. We were playing $100/200 blinds with a $25 ante so I was starting to get short but not dangerous yet. There was an early raise to $800 and then a flat call to my immediate right. I looked down and saw pocket KK's. There was $2,125 in the pot at that time. I felt my only move was to move in, if I raised again to say $4,000 I was pot committed, and that was only twice the pot so I would have priced in a few calls. I felt mucking was not an option, is it really ever and option with KK's?? I guess if you have a pile of chips and raise and get the action I did you could muck. So here is what happens behind me. I moved in for all $6,000, the chip leader of the whole tournament with about $30,000 in chips is two to my left, he looks down and then he moves all in. That did not scare me too much, he had been playing fast and lucky so I felt I had him beat and that would basically protect my hand. Then the player to his left also moved in for about $6,000 as well. I knew at that point I was dead to AA's somewhere. Crap, what a perfect storm. I had KK's, chip leader has JJ's, and third player had the AA's. Here comes the board, 10,8,6, no help for me, turn 9, river a Q making the chip leader with the worst hand a straight and busting both of us. When it rains it pours on the luckbox. I am now out, no money, off to cash game.
This was a quick night for me in the cash game. I sat down in the $100/200 game, and proceeded to lose the first five hands I played and quit. I picked up pocket KK's second hand I played UTG. I raised got two callers, and an A hit the board on the flop. I bet, got raised and cold called behind me so I just mucked on the flop. The winner had hit a set on the flop with 33's so I went from 1st to 3rd on the flop. Easy lay down, just cost me $300. The very next hand in the BB I get Ad,Kd. I call a raise from EP because there are 4 people in the pot. The flop came down K,K,6. I check one bet from LP, I just call waiting to raise the turn, turn came 5, I check again, he bets, I raise, he three bets, I just call as I am a little gun shy here. River a 2, I check call and he shows me K,5 for a turned full house. I miss on an As,Qs hand, then play pocket 10's from MP, get three bet and give up on that hand on a J high flop, when the river boards looks like J,5,4,3,2. I did not call the river, but I could not think of a hand that I felt I could beat there. At that point I call it a night down 20 BB. It was not going to turn, and if it did it was going to take me all night to get out. I had to be fresh for a meeting the next day so I just hung it up.
When is this going to turn for me? Who knows? Poker can just suck sometimes. I hate not playing regularly as these shitty sessions just linger in your mind for a week or more in between. It happens. My next trip will be down to the Bellagio the weekend of the 6th to the 9th to play in their tournament and some side games. Hope you are all winning and talk to you soon..SJ
The tournament was a $540 buyin NL tournament. We had 281 players, which was a little less than I thought but still a top prize of $55,000, not too shabby. I started off pretty well. We had a table with two fast players. The first one got lucky with some crap hands and accumulated some chips but I knew they were going to go someplace fast, it was just going to be a matter of time. The other came to our table after a bust early, and he sat to my direct right, perfect. I was going to try and trap him. As it worked out he played fast with his chips and decided to get involved in a coin flip with me that I also decided was the right time to take a risk. I had built my $2,000 up to about $2,800 in a few rounds and picked up pocket QQ's UTG. We were playing $25/50 blinds, and I made it $250 to go. I did not want to mess around too much with this hand early so I wanted to make a bit of an oversized bet. It got folded around to Mr. Fast player in the BB and he just moved in for over $3,500. I figured a smaller pair, or best case AK, I did not put him on AA or KK, if that happened then so be it. I thought about it for a bit, then just decided that I need some chips and this is going to be the best way to get them. I called all in. He showed me AK which did not hit and I doubled up. Then one round later I had A,J off in the SB, there was a limper in EP and I completed the blind, and the BB checked his option. The flop came down A,J,9 rainbow. I checked the BB bet $150 into the pot, which was the size of the pot, EP mucked and I made it $600 to go. The BB now just moved in for his remaining $1,500. Wow, again? I figured any hand that could beat me would have raised, maybe 99's might have checked but I did not think so, He must have a bad A or maybe even same hand. I called and he showed me A,9 for a worse two pair. I held again and now had some chips.
I did not have any great hands or confrontations to speak of for a few hours after that. I really did not get that many great hands to try to pick up some pots, but managed to stay around $6,000 until this final fatal hand. We only had 75 players left, and they were going to pay 27. We were playing $100/200 blinds with a $25 ante so I was starting to get short but not dangerous yet. There was an early raise to $800 and then a flat call to my immediate right. I looked down and saw pocket KK's. There was $2,125 in the pot at that time. I felt my only move was to move in, if I raised again to say $4,000 I was pot committed, and that was only twice the pot so I would have priced in a few calls. I felt mucking was not an option, is it really ever and option with KK's?? I guess if you have a pile of chips and raise and get the action I did you could muck. So here is what happens behind me. I moved in for all $6,000, the chip leader of the whole tournament with about $30,000 in chips is two to my left, he looks down and then he moves all in. That did not scare me too much, he had been playing fast and lucky so I felt I had him beat and that would basically protect my hand. Then the player to his left also moved in for about $6,000 as well. I knew at that point I was dead to AA's somewhere. Crap, what a perfect storm. I had KK's, chip leader has JJ's, and third player had the AA's. Here comes the board, 10,8,6, no help for me, turn 9, river a Q making the chip leader with the worst hand a straight and busting both of us. When it rains it pours on the luckbox. I am now out, no money, off to cash game.
This was a quick night for me in the cash game. I sat down in the $100/200 game, and proceeded to lose the first five hands I played and quit. I picked up pocket KK's second hand I played UTG. I raised got two callers, and an A hit the board on the flop. I bet, got raised and cold called behind me so I just mucked on the flop. The winner had hit a set on the flop with 33's so I went from 1st to 3rd on the flop. Easy lay down, just cost me $300. The very next hand in the BB I get Ad,Kd. I call a raise from EP because there are 4 people in the pot. The flop came down K,K,6. I check one bet from LP, I just call waiting to raise the turn, turn came 5, I check again, he bets, I raise, he three bets, I just call as I am a little gun shy here. River a 2, I check call and he shows me K,5 for a turned full house. I miss on an As,Qs hand, then play pocket 10's from MP, get three bet and give up on that hand on a J high flop, when the river boards looks like J,5,4,3,2. I did not call the river, but I could not think of a hand that I felt I could beat there. At that point I call it a night down 20 BB. It was not going to turn, and if it did it was going to take me all night to get out. I had to be fresh for a meeting the next day so I just hung it up.
When is this going to turn for me? Who knows? Poker can just suck sometimes. I hate not playing regularly as these shitty sessions just linger in your mind for a week or more in between. It happens. My next trip will be down to the Bellagio the weekend of the 6th to the 9th to play in their tournament and some side games. Hope you are all winning and talk to you soon..SJ
posted by Seattlejohn at 3:20 PM
2 Comments:
Could you have smooth called the kings and gotten away from it?
I'm not saying it's the right play. In fact, it's probably the wrong play, because it's scared play, and that's a formula for losing tournaments.
But it's always a question I ask myself when I bust out. How could I have played this differently and gotten out with some of my chips?
I never like that line because it invites more callers behind you and then if an A hits the flop you don't have any info on how to proceed. As it turns out if I would have smooth called and the chip leader went allin and then the guy behind as well I could have mucked, but I did not know those kinds of hands were out there. I wish I would have had those KK's on the button and all that action would have been in front of me, but it is what is, and I can't change where I got them. So I go BUST. On to the next tournament. JS
Post a Comment
<< Home